Wrench



R. S. SHACKFORD.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.261 I920.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

UNITED STATES ROBERT S. SHAGKFORD, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

wnnnon.

Application filed March 26, 1929. Serial No. 36 8,855.

To all whomfit may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. SHACKFORD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' This invention relates to wrenches and is especially concerned with wrenchesof the type in which a'ratchet action may be obtained. The invention has for its chief object to devise a wrench of this type in which a relatively large ad'ustment of the jaws can be made, which s all be simple in construction, and which can be economically manufactured.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection .with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a wrench embodying the invention in the format present preferred, certain of the parts bemg1 broken away for the sake of clearness; an

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the head portion of the wrench shown in Fig. 1 with certain parts. broken out.

The construction shown comprises a head consisting of upper and lower plates 2 and 3, respectively, suitably spaced apart and having extensions that cooperate with a spacing block 4 to form the fixed jaw 5 of the wrench. The three parts that make up this jaw are secured together by rivets 6, and the movable jaw 7 of the wrench is made up in the same way as the jaw 5, the parts being riveted together, and an extension or shank 8 rojecting from this jaw is slidably mounted in the head to enable the jaw 7 to move in a straight line toward or from the fixed jaw 5. A coiled spring 9 mounted in a recess or groove provided in the shank 8 tends to hold the jaws at the innermost limit of their range of relative movement.

For the purpose of moving the jaw 7 both for adjustment andalso to clamp it onthe bolt or nut head N on which it is working, the lower edge of the shank 8 is toothed, as shown at 10, and a pawl '11 is mounted in the head in position to engage the teeth 10. The pawl is moved by a handle 12 pivoted on the stud 13 and having a cam shaped projection 14 provided with a socket 01' seat in which the rounded end' of the pawl 11 rests. Another extension 15 of the handle 12 is slotted to receive a pin 16 that also projects through the pawl and through parallel slots in the plates 2 and 3, the slot in the plate 3 being shown at 17. Normally vthe pawl 11.is held in engagement with the teeth 10 by a spring 18.

It will now be seen that when the handle 12 is swungin a clockwise direction about the pivot 13 the cam piece 14 acting'on the end of the pawl 18 will slide this pawl toward the right, and through the engagemeint of the pawl with the teeth 10 this force will be transmitted to the jaw 7 thus closing the jaws on the work. When the handle is swung in the opposite directionto turn the wrench into position to secure another bite onthe work, the walls of the slot in the extension 15 act on the pin 16 to slide the pawl 18 toward the left thus releasing the grip of the jaws on the work and enabling the movable jaw to slide backwardly as it passes around the corners of the nut or bolt head on which the wrench is working. As soon, however, as the wrench has been moved far enough to secure its new bite and the handle is again swung in a clockwise direction, the operation above described will be repeated to cause the jaws to firmly grip the work. It will be seen that the tip 20 of the pawl 11 projects from between the plates 2 and 3 far enough to enable it to be grasped by the workman and released from the teeth 10 to permit the manual adjustment of the jaw 7. Such an adjustment, however, does not interfere with the ratchet action. A spacing stud 21 cooperates with the stud 13 to hold the plates 2hand 3 in their properly spaced relations 1p. 7

It will now be evident that the invention provides a relatively simple construction of wrench in which a relatively large ad'ustment of the jaws can be made without a ecting the ratcheting action. Furthermore, since the more 1m ortant parts of the wrench can be made om sheet metal punchings or stampings, it will be seen that it can be manufactured very economically.

While I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of the invention of which I am at present aware, it will be understood that this embodiment may be modified in many particulars without defixed jaw, a spring tending to move said movable jaw into its closed position, a handle pivoted in said head, a pawl mounted in said head to engage the teeth of said shank, a pin and slot connection between said pawl and said handle for moving said pawl in one direction, a cam connection between said pawl and said handle for moving the pawl in the opposite direction to close said jaws, and a spring for holding said pawl in engagement with the teeth on the shank of said movable jaw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

R BERT S. SHACKFORD. 

